The Rock Rooms are staffed full-time by community volunteers who are available to support students during the school day, help them find what they need and listen when they need a kind ear.
Ron “Rondo” Fernandez, owner of The Mojo Grill & Catering Co., grew up seeing his fellow students in need. As an adult, he is hoping to change that.
“Growing up, I was exposed to a lot of rural poverty,” says Fernandez. “It has always been on my heart to impact kids if I ever had the ability. We decided schools would be a central location where kids could come and have their needs met.”
Today, Fernandez and his wife, Toby, are converting classrooms into The Rock rooms as part of “Empowered of Central Florida”. These rooms offer students in need school supplies, food, toiletries, feminine hygiene products, clothing and even washers and dryers to do their laundry. The Rock provides for about 250 students each day.